Pythagoras, Cholent, and Tznius (Modesty)

Pythagorus had a lot of influence for a man who probably never existed. The Pythagoreans invented their founder, including the manner of his death. Pyhthagoras had a strong revulsion to beans. He would definitely never have eaten Shabbat afternoon Cholent, and not because of its natural effects on the stomach, but because beans are not Tznius – not appropriate for a modest person: (Please do not read on if you are sensitive.) Bean may have been an Egyptian slang word for testicle. The Christian Bishop Hippolytus, in his Refutation of All Heresies (especially thefoundationstone.org) wrote that if beans are chewed and then left in the sun, they emit the smell of semen. Very not Tznius! There’s more! If one takes the bean in flower and buries it in the earth and, in a few days, digs it up: “It will have the appearance of something immodest.”

It seems that Pythagoras was very strict about Tznius: When running from the Syracusans during the war with Arigentum, he escaped because his followers formed a bridge over a fire with their bodies, only to be caught because he would not escape through a field of beans: not tznius! That’s commitment.

Even the great philosophers, if they truly existed, had their foibles.

Lately, I have been wondering if the manner in which we teach Tznius has become one of the foibles of certain religious communities.

I repeat: “The manner in which we teach the laws of Tznius.” I do not mean the laws of personal dignity.

If a teacher publicly humiliates a young girl for wearing a school uniform that is too tight; is she not stuck at Pythagoras’ field of beans? Is it Tznius – modesty to most – dignity to me – to humiliate someone? Did the “laws” of Tznius not just override the biblical commandments to love others, to rebuke in an effective manner, to not embarrass someone, to copy the ways of God in personal attributes, to avoid arrogance and numerous others? Is that public rebuke not a tergiversation (I wanted to use a word I learned today – not too modest, but hopefully dignified,) of all the lessons of Jewish law and thought?

I open this “blog” to you: How do you suggest we teach the concept of Tznius and its laws?

Please allow me one more reflection on this topic: I met a non-observant man this week who commented that he never understood the concept of Kedusha – Holiness – until he met a group of Satmar women. He used to laugh at their hats and dress. After one conversation he understood the concept of Holiness at least he sensed it. These were women who were untouchable simply by virtue of who they are as human beings. I can picture Reb Yoelish zt”l smiling with great pride.

A much misunderstood concept in our day and age. As Rebbe pointed out above just several common misconceptions: rebukes done in a non-private, rebukable-in-themsevles fashion, “tznuah” high school girls in skin tight dress – covered most modestly of course up to their wrists…not to mention spouses who speak about each other publicly or behind one another’s backs or simply in a grevious fashion to each other, when “syag l’chachmah shteekah – silence is a fence for wisdom” and they should simply choose to remain silent instead of excusing themselves, verbalizing (or not) “I just have to get this off my chest.” Well, no, actually, you didn’t.

So, a few years ago two students in Eretz Yisrael, Ofer Shwartzbaum and Amichai Sdan went around to many of the well known Rabanim and asked them to contribute their thoughts on the topic. The resulting book is in Hebrew and titled, “Ketonet Ohr – Birur Emunee B’Sugyat Ha-Tzniut.”

Its opening chapter is one of the most beautiful poems I’ve ever read by Rav Eliyahu Blumenzweig. I will translate its first paragraph here:

“V’Hatzneah lechet eem Elo-kechah”
And you shall walk with Tzniut with your G-d

The one who girds themselves (as if for war) to walk with their Creator – it is fitting for them to grab hold of the attribute of Tzniut,

The tzniut which will win wars – is not one of hiding one’s self and or cloaking one’s self in a sheaf,

Rather it describes the character of how to go about and of taking steps;

She is not confined to the spaces between one action and the next,

Rather, her seal is stamped upon all the things that are formed and the actualizations achieved;

The worthy tzniut – behold she is a style all her own [of behavior/of behaving/doing our daily actions] full of fermenting life, longing and bustling –

As an aside, I had the privilege of sitting next to Rav Blumenzweig in the Bait Medrash in Alon Shvut for a number of years during my Hesder tenure there. Since then (he was a Shanah Shniyah rebbe) he was deemed the man to go to Y’rucham and found a new Y’shivat Hesder there to help strengthen the local community. More importantly, he personifies the concept of ‘v’Hatznea’ Lechet’.

Perhaps another spin on ‘vHatznea’ Lechet’ may be to explain it b’Tzin’a = Hiddenness.===> When you are ‘walking with G-d’=>Do it in a hidden way. i.e. If you’ve got it DON’T flaunt it. Similarly, in Chassidut,the fabulous rejoinder humbles us= ‘Those who believe they are closest to G-d are truly soooo far away, while those who feel further from G-d are much closer.’

As far as R’Simcha’s comment re the Satmar ladies =they don’t talk about it, they JUST DO IT!!!For them it is a state of being and that is their high natural state and people notice. (As R’Shlomo explained Rav Kook in Orot HaT’shuvah re: HaT’shuva HaTiv’it =Each person in Israel’s Natural state is a high exalted state of being. When one makes a mistake, one loses a level from that Natural state.=>HaT’shuva HaTiv’it is restoring one to the prior high exalted state of being)

Anyone who has encountered the Satmar Bikur Cholim ladies knows what they are about=> they DON’T come in with fanfare saying WE’RE THE SATMAR BIKUR CHOLIM LADIES AND WE’RE HERE TO DO BIKUR CHOLIM (!) .Rather, they come in matter-of-factedly, going about their business, sharing what they’ve got and asking what you need and doing their best to provide it in a very low-key fashion.And when they’re done,wishing you a good shabbos and on to the next patient.

In a nutshell, the best way to model tzni’ut is just be it, and not wear it in your sleeve (however long they may be – sorry couldn’t resist)